Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Chan Chun-ying and a written reply by the Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs, Miss Alice Mak, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
Tai O, situated in a low-lying area, has frequently become a flooding blackspot during typhoons and heavy rain. In this regard, the Government has, over the years, implemented various flood prevention works and conducted various drills in Tai O. In relation to the disaster preventive measures implemented in Tai O, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) as prior to the arrival of typhoons and heavy rain, the Islands District Office will acquire certain premises (such as the rural committee office, integrated services centres and the community work office) to serve as temporary shelters, of the proportion of Tai O’s total population these shelters can accommodate; and whether an assessment has been made regarding the capacity of these shelters to meet the disaster prevention needs of Tai O residents;
(2) as it is learnt that the Islands District Office, in collaboration with relevant government departments and local organisations, will organise from time to time rescue and evacuation drills in the event of serious flooding in Tai O, whether statistics have been compiled on the number of residents participating in each drill over the past three years; and whether residents’ opinions on the content of the drills and the simulated scenarios have been collected; if so, of the details; if not the reasons for that; and
(3) as the elderly constitute a large proportion of the Tai O residents and they may require more time to receive and understand new information, whether the authorities have deployed manpower to specifically promote to elderly residents methods of self-protection during typhoons or heavy rain, as well as support measures provided by the Government; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
Reply:
President,
The Government has always attached great importance to the response to extreme weather conditions. As Tai O is situated in a low-lying area, severe flooding may occur under extreme weather. The Islands District Office (IsDO), in collaboration with other relevant departments, including the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF), the Fire Services Department (FSD), the Hong Kong Observatory (HKO), the Social Welfare Department (SWD), the Drainage Services Department (DSD), has jointly formulated the Alert System and Emergency Response Plan for Serious Flooding in Tai O (the Emergency Response Plan) to facilitate timely and appropriate contingency arrangements to be made, thereby minimising the impact of flooding on the Tai O community.
When the HKO forecasts that the sea level in Tai O may reach 3.0 metres (above chart datum) within 24 hours, the Emergency Response Plan will be partially activated, and relevant government departments will implement flood protection measures. For example, the DSD will, depending on the situation, install flood barriers at appropriate locations (such as along the banks of the Tai O Creek and other riverbanks), and place sandbags at various locations within the district for use by residents and businesses; the IsDO and the SWD will co-ordinate with the Tai O Rural Committee, local organisations, Care Teams and relevant frontline departments to contact residents living in low-lying areas and provide assistance with regard to their specific circumstances and requests, including elevating large furniture and electrical appliances in their homes and contacting their relatives and friends living outside Tai O for temporary accommodation.
If the HKO forecasts that the sea level in Tai O may reach 3.3 metres (above chart datum) in the coming few hours, the Emergency Response Plan will be fully activated. The HKO will issue early warnings via mobile phone text messages to relevant government departments and Tai O resident and fishermen representatives. The IsDO will contact the relevant units and departments to confirm that they have received the messages and remind them to urge local residents to seek refuge at temporary shelters, transit centres or other safe places (such as the homes of relatives and friends outside Tai O) if necessary. The IsDO will also mobilise the disciplined services, including the HKPF, the FSD and the Civil Aid Service (CAS), to go to Tai O to participate in evacuation and rescue operations, and to urge and/or assist residents in seeking temporary shelter at the aforementioned safe locations.
Our reply to the captioned question is as follows:
(1) Once the Emergency Response Plan is fully activated, the Tai O Rural Committee Office, the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association Tai O Community Work Office, the Tai O Branch of the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council Tung Chung Integrated Service Centre, and the Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College will, depending on the circumstances, be opened as temporary shelters, whilst selected units in Lung Tin Estate will also be used as a temporary transit centre to provide temporary shelter for residents in need. These shelters and transit centre could offer temporary accommodation to some 200 persons in total. Over the past three years, the Emergency Response Plan was fully activated on five occasions, and the average utilisation rate of the said shelters and transit centre amounted to about 4.4 per cent during the period. As many Tai O residents prefer to stay with their relatives or friends outside the district before extreme weather hits, and only return to Tai O after it has passed, there has been no shortage of shelter space for residents within the Tai O district.
(2) Every year, the IsDO, in collaboration with relevant departments and local organisations, conducts an inter-departmental exercise in Tai O based on the Emergency Response Plan. The primary objective of the exercise is to familiarise frontline personnel with the rescue protocol. Participants of the exercise include eight government departments (Note 1), four local organisations (Note 2), the Tai O Rural Committee, the Lantau Care Team, and a number of Tai O residents, totalling some 250 persons. Prior to the exercise, the IsDO sends letters to all households and businesses in Tai O to inform them of arrangements of the exercise, enclosing a summary of the Emergency Response Plan and flood safety guidelines for their reference. Upon the completion of the exercise, the IsDO immediately convenes an inter-departmental debriefing to gather feedback from participants on the content and arrangements of the exercise, with a view to learning from the experience for continuous enhancement of the effectiveness of the exercise.
(3) Before the arrival of a typhoon, the IsDO will, in collaboration with the Tai O Rural Committee and the Lantau Care Team, disseminate information on typhoon and flood precautionary measures to local residents and businesses. Furthermore, in the afternoon of the day of the aforementioned exercise, the IsDO will also join hands with relevant local organisations to hold a seminar on severe flood preparedness for Tai O residents. The seminar will explain the causes of flooding in Tai O, the preparatory and contingency measures to be taken prior to the arrival of storm surges, etc, so as to enable residents to prepare for the upcoming typhoon season. Information cards setting out the emergency contact numbers of relevant departments and local organisations will also be distributed to residents, to ensure that the residents have the most updated information for accessing assistance.
Each year, the IsDO also shares the list of high-risk elderly residents in Tai O, as compiled and updated by the SWD, with the HKPF and the FSD for internal reference when conducting rescue operations. In the event of potential serious flooding in Tai O, the IsDO will join forces with relevant government departments, local organisations and Care Teams to implement a series of contingency measures for the elderly on the list. These measures include getting in touch with the elderly concerned to remind them to remain vigilant; urging them to seek refuge at temporary shelters, transit centres or other safe locations; as well as assisting in elevating their furniture, electrical appliances, etc, with a view to protecting their lives and property.
Note 1: Including the IsDO, the HKPF, the FSD, the CAS, the HKO, the DSD, the SWD and the Housing Department.
Note 2: Including the Tai O Branch of the Neighbourhood Advice-Action Council Tung Chung Integrated Service Centre, the Hong Kong Young Women’s Christian Association Tai O Community Work Office, the Hong Kong Red Cross, and the Buddhist Fat Ho Memorial College.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ2: Support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises Question:
Quite a number of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) have pointed out that government funding schemes are crucial to their cash flow, and these funding schemes have an even greater impact on their operations, particularly during the current period of economic transformation. Some members of the industry have pointed out that there have been delays in the vetting and approval process of the SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF), with the waiting time of certain cases exceeding the authorities’ service performance indicators. The Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) implemented enhancement measures in March last year, including making adjustments to the matching ratio and initial payment, etc, all of which have affected the cash flow of MSMEs. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the lead time between the Trade and Industry Department’s receipt of all necessary documentation from the applicants of the EMF and the disbursement of funding support in each of the past three years, with a tabulated breakdown of the number of applications by lead time (i.e. (i) within 30 clear working days, (ii) after 30 clear working days but within nine months, and (iii) more than nine months);
(2) whether it has ascertained if the applications mentioned in (1) have experienced delays in the vetting and approval process; if so, of the details; and
(3) given that the enhancement measures for the BUD Fund have been implemented for more than a year, how the authorities assess their impact on the operation of MSMEs, and when a review will be conducted?
Reply:
President,
The Government has been adopting a multi-pronged approach in promoting diversified development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). Among which, the SME Export Marketing Fund (EMF) and the Dedicated Fund on Branding, Upgrading and Domestic Sales (BUD Fund) provide funding support with a view to encouraging enterprises to expand their markets outside Hong Kong by participating in export promotion activities and upgrading and transformation respectively. As one of the measures addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, the EMF has been implementing the special measures from end-April 2021 to end-June 2026 to cover exhibitions targeting the local market and online exhibitions, as well as relaxing the eligibility criteria to cover non-SMEs. Since 2018, the Government has also launched several rounds of enhancements to the BUD Fund, including the injection of a total of $7.75 billion, expansion of the geographical scope, phased increase of the cumulative funding ceiling per enterprise from $500,000 to $7 million, and the launch of “Easy BUD” and “E-commerce Easy”, etc.
The consolidated reply to the three parts of the question is as follows:
Under normal circumstances, the Trade and Industry Department (TID) will complete the processing of a valid EMF application within 30 clear working days from the date of receipt of the duly completed application accompanied by all necessary documentation, and the processing time may take longer for complicated cases. Complicated cases usually involve applications which are suspected to be non-compliant with the funding requirements or conditions. The processing time of individual complicated case varies according to factors including whether the applicant can provide all necessary documentation in a timely manner, the overall number of applications, case details and the complexity of the case, etc.
For general applications, the EMF has been able to meet its performance pledge of completing the processing within 30 clear working days from the date of receipt of the duly completed application accompanied by all necessary documentation in the past three years. Complicated cases which take longer processing time accounted for about 30 per cent of total number of applications in the past three years. Overall speaking, the processing of over 99 per cent of applications was completed within nine months after the receipt of all necessary documentation. Detailed breakdown of the numbers is at Annex.
In recent years, the number of complicated cases has increased. Relevant cases mainly involve applicant enterprises which have included refunded payments by organisers or their related parties in the declared amount of actual expenditure, in order to obtain higher grant amount than they are entitled to. We have also found that the organisers and exhibitors of some promotion activities may have omitted or misrepresented information, or even made false declarations. Therefore, all applications for relevant activities are subject to further review, hence requiring a longer processing time to ensure proper use of public funds.
The TID has been maintaining close liaison with the industry and applicant enterprises and continuing to allocate manpower in a timely manner to process applications, enhance the workflow of handling applications and computer functions, streamline processing procedures, revamp the EMF webpage layout design, etc, with a view to enhancing the processing of EMF applications. For complicated cases suspected to be non-compliant with funding requirements and conditions that require longer processing time, the TID has provided further guidance via the EMF Guide to Application and application form, assisting applicant enterprises in declaring truthfully all the relevant costs of the activities and the related information. Meanwhile, the TID has reminded the organisers via the Guide to list out the details of refunds in documents of the activities to facilitate declaration by applicant enterprises. We have also stepped up publicity through various channels, including the EMF webpage, notices of the EMF, e-newsletters of the Support and Consultation Centre for Small and Medium Enterprises, etc, to strengthen deterrence against the relevant non-compliant or illegal acts.
On the other hand, the Government implemented rationalisation measures under the BUD Fund since March 2025 with a view to utilising the fund in the most productive manner while ensuring its financial sustainability. In 2025, the BUD Fund received around 5 350 applications, an increase of over 210 per cent as compared with the number of applications in 2019; the total approved funding amount increased by over 320 per cent during the same period, indicating that the trade’s demand for the BUD Fund has remained strong. Besides, the participating enterprises agreed that the BUD Fund had helped them in various areas, including enhancing corporate image, brands/products/services awareness, and their overall competitiveness, etc. As at end-March 2026, around 98 per cent of the enterprises that responded to the project completion surveys considered that the BUD Fund was useful in supporting their business development. Around 98 per cent of the enterprises that responded to the annual tracking surveys considered that the BUD Fund was useful to their long-term development.
In March 2025, the Government has also rolled out enhancement measures under the BUD Fund, including relaxation of the frequency for “Easy BUD” submissions and provision of more targeted funding support for projects involving green transformation and restructuring of production lines, etc. In addition, the Government plans to implement a series of measures announced in the 2025 Policy Address and the 2026-27 Budget in the second quarter of 2026, including expansion of the geographical scope of the BUD Fund, increase of the funding ceiling per “Easy BUD” application from $100,000 to $150,000, as well as the provision of more targeted funding support for enterprises to implement projects which involve artificial intelligence elements, etc. Therefore, we need time to assess the financial implications in respect of various measures. We will continue to manage the fund prudently with a view to enabling more enterprises to receive funding support and maintaining a wide coverage of beneficiaries while ensuring the financial sustainability of the BUD Fund. The Government will continue to keep in close touch with the trade, constantly review the operation of the funding scheme, and make adjustments and enhancements when necessary. Issued at HKT 15:10
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Lee Kong-yu and a reply by the Secretary for Innovation, Technology and Industry, Professor Sun Dong, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
There are views pointing out that Mainland cities that have achieved relative success in innovation and technology (I&T) development have all relied on the government’s holistic involvement in establishing platforms, co-ordinating resources and empowering enterprises, and that whether the government team has sufficient technology talents to participate in I&T development initiatives will directly impact the effectiveness of policy implementation. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) of the current numbers of I&T-related professionals in government professional grades (including but not limited to software engineers (programming), systems analysts, cybersecurity engineers, DevOps engineers and cloud engineers), with a breakdown by relevant government departments, as well as permanent and time-limited posts, and the proportion of staff;
(2) whether it will, with reference to the best industry benchmark ratio in the market, set targets for the manpower ratio of I&T-related professionals in the Government for the coming three years, and reserve buffer manpower while adhering to the principle of avoiding excessive recruitment, so as to support future I&T initiatives; and
(3) whether the Government has invited technology experts with experience in large-scale projects to serve as consultants to assist various departments in more effectively promoting digital and technological transformation, and whether it can provide cases to illustrate the positive impact of the involvement of such experts on the development of relevant I&T projects; if no such arrangements were made in the past, whether the Government has plans to introduce such a practice?
Reply:
President,
Talent is the core engine driving digital transformation. Therefore, while actively promoting the development of innovation and technology (I&T) and digital transformation, we will also ensure that the government team possesses the necessary knowledge and skills to embrace advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and leverages market forces, thereby enhancing the efficiency and quality of public services.
Regarding the question raised by the Hon Lee Kwong-yu, the reply is as follows:
(1) and (2) The professional grades in the Government that are directly related to information technology (IT) as mentioned in the question include the Analyst/Programmer Grade, the Computer Operator Grade and the Data Processor Grade. These IT professionals are mainly responsible for the study, design, development, operation, and maintenance of information systems, as well as the provision of various technical services (including system and cyber security), project management support, and data entry tasks.
The Digital Policy Office (DPO) is responsible for managing the aforementioned IT professional grades. Relevant staff members are deployed to different units within the DPO, mainly undertaking central co-ordination and facilitation roles such as promoting the development of digital government, enhancing data governance, and fostering industry collaboration. Staff members are also posted to various bureaux/departments (B/Ds) across the Government to support system operations and project implementation, as well as to assist in the implementation of relevant digital policies and initiatives. As of end-March this year, the establishment of the three grades was about 2 200 in total. The relevant figures and breakdown by B/D are set out at Annex.
Promoting the development of I&T and AI is not the sole responsibility of IT professional grades; it also requires the participation of the entire civil service and different sectors of the society. In fact, I&T-related work is diverse in nature, encompassing a wide range of policy areas, technical domains and implementation arrangements, and involving various professions. The technological content is no longer confined to traditional IT. At the same time, B/Ds also attach great importance to providing comprehensive support and enabling conditions for relevant sectors. Hence, when assessing the overall human resources and capabilities of the Government in driving I&T transformation, one should not focus solely on individual establishment figures or set rigid targets for resource allocation.
To address the demands of various IT, digital transformation and I&T projects, in addition to employing civil servants, B/Ds also engage contract staff or procure services from contractors having regard to operational needs, project nature, technology type, professional requirements, and resource allocation priorities. B/Ds may also flexibly redeploy existing manpower resources to meet operational demands. Beyond staff recruitment and outsourcing arrangements, the Government also emphasises enhancement and upgrade of skills of its manpower. Through strengthened training, staff are equipped with the latest skills and market practices to become versatile talent, thereby supporting the increasingly important work of government digital transformation and technology innovation.
(3) Under the leadership of the AI Efficacy Enhancement Team, the DPO has established a dedicated task force and invited technology companies with experience in large-scale projects to assist government departments in designing and implementing AI-driven efficacy enhancement projects. To further support the Government’s digital transformation process, the DPO will bring in industry experts in AI and data science, alongside market-leading technologies, to provide technical support and strategic advisory services, and to assist in training key talents across different grades. This will help sustain and scale up AI projects while building up the Government’s internal AI talent pool.
These industry experts are gradually coming on board. Adopting a “hand-holding” approach through project management and implementation, they will enhance the ability of government personnel responsible for AI projects to identify cutting-edge technologies and apply AI effectively in practice. This will ensure that the Government’s digital and technological transformation projects better meet user needs and professional standards. The projects under this initiative will be progressively rolled out this year.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LegCo Supervisory Committee reports to LegCo on handling of complaint against Ms Judy Chan Taking into account all relevant factors, and in accordance with the types of sanctions set out in the Procedure of the Legislative Council Supervisory Committee for Handling Complaints (Procedure for Handling Complaints), the Committee decided to issue a written warning to Ms Chan, sternly warning her that she must be mindful of her words and deeds at all times and ensure that she lives up to the public’s expectations of LegCo Members. Pursuant to the Rules of Procedure and the Code for Members of LegCo (the Code), this sanction will be administered by the Chairman of the Committee after the report is tabled in Council.
On January 23 this year, Ms Chan drove in the opposite direction of traffic on Jaffe Road in Wan Chai. The incident attracted extensive media coverage and significant public attention. LegCo subsequently received a complaint made under the complainant’s real name against Ms Chan for violating the Road Traffic Ordinance, as well as the relevant requirements of the Code, including paragraph 1.6: Members shall take the exemplary lead in upholding the rule of law, and abide by all laws in force in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; and paragraph 3.3: Members shall abide by all laws in force in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
In accordance with the Procedure for Handling Complaints, the Chairman of the Committee decided to hold a meeting to consider the complaint. Taking into account the relevant information, the relevant requirements and so on, the Committee decided to investigate the complaint and invited Ms Chan to attend a meeting to give explanations and provide information. The Committee held a total of two closed meetings to consider and investigate the complaint.
After investigation, the Committee is of the opinion that Ms Chan’s wrong-way driving constitutes misconduct, in breach of the relevant requirements of paragraphs 1.6 and 3.3 of the Code. Having considered all the findings of the investigation, the Committee considered that Ms Chan’s commission of the offence “careless driving” was undoubtedly improper, falling short of society’s expectations regarding the conduct and ethics required of Members.
In determining the sanction, the Committee has strived to be fair, impartial, independent and objective. Instead of only considering Ms Chan’s unlawful act or solely taking reference from the court ruling, the Committee has also taken into account the relevant factors set out in the Code, including the nature and gravity of the misconduct, the specific circumstances of the misconduct, the impact of the misconduct, etc.
The Committee is satisfied that Ms Chan’s wrong-way driving was the result of her misjudgement made out of a momentary desire for convenience. While this act of hers was imprudent and reckless, it did not involve serious misconduct such as a breach of personal integrity or abuse of power or dereliction of duty. As regards Ms Chan’s case, the Committee noted that she was charged with “careless driving” rather than the more serious offence of “dangerous driving”. The maximum penalty for “careless driving” is a fine of HK$5,000 and imprisonment for six months, and offenders may be disqualified from driving. The Committee noted that the magistrate considered the case “fairly serious”, but at the same time also weighed the severity of the penalty against the specific circumstances and actual consequences. Taking into account that Ms Chan had no previous criminal or traffic conviction, and had only received eight fixed penalty notices in 22 years of driving, the magistrate ultimately sentenced Ms Chan to a fine of HK$2,000 and a one-month driving ban, without imposing a custodial sentence. This demonstrates the relatively low severity of the case and hence the relatively light sentence.
The Committee notes that Ms Chan has taken a number of remedial actions after the incident, including offering multiple apologies to the public; contacting the Police on her own initiative to give a statement; pleading guilty directly in court without arguing the case, promising not to reoffend and stating her willingness to accept all legal penalties. Ms Chan also repeatedly apologised to the Committee for the incident, saying that whatever decision the Committee might reach, she would willingly accept any outcome.
The Committee is satisfied that, since the incident, Ms Chan has all along demonstrated remorse; her public apologies and explanations for the incident have been sincere; and she has already received legal penalties for violating traffic legislation. Moreover, she has swiftly taken a series of remedial actions, striving to minimise the negative impact of the incident on the reputation of LegCo. Taking into account all relevant factors, the Committee has unanimously concluded that Ms Chan’s misconduct did not reach a serious level. Given that this was her first instance of such misconduct, the Committee has, in accordance with the types of sanctions set out in the Procedure for Handing Complaints, decided to issue a written warning to Ms Chan.
The Committee reminds all LegCo Members that, in their capacity as members of the legislature of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, they must take the exemplary lead in upholding the rule of law, and abide by the law. In addition, Members should do their best to uphold the reputation of LegCo, and they must observe the highest standards of personal conduct and ethics at all time and strictly adhere to all requirements of the Code, so as to meet the very high expectations of the Central Authorities and the public for LegCo and Members. Issued at HKT 14:35
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
Following is a question by the Hon Nixie Lam and a reply by the Secretary for Environment and Ecology, Mr Tse Chin-wan, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
Last month, the Office of The Ombudsman published an investigation report on the Government’s work in combating cruelty to animals, highlighting issues such as insufficient guidelines and hasty closure of cases in the enforcement work of the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that the authorities briefed this Council on the key proposals to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Ordinance in May 2022, of the reasons why the legislative amendment proposals have not yet been formally submitted; whether it will undertake to complete the legislative amendments, or to implement them in phases, within the term of the current Government; if so, the specific timetable; if not, the reasons for that; President,
The Government has been curbing acts of cruelty to animals through stringent enforcement and preventive work such as education. On enforcement, under the division of work within the Government, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) is responsible for handling emergency cases; whereas non-emergency cases reported through platforms including the 1823, such as reports on providing insufficient food, are followed up by the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department (AFCD).
The Office of The Ombudsman earlier published an investigation report on the Government’s work in combating cruelty to animals, which acknowledges that the AFCD’s investigations into cases of cruelty to animals are currently constrained by its enforcement powers as it cannot enter premises to carry out investigations, and put forward various recommendations regarding the AFCD’s various areas of work, including the follow-up of reports, case monitoring and collaborative efforts to combat animal cruelty. The AFCD accepts all the recommendations of the report and is actively following up on various improvement measures, including enhancement of case-handling workflows, strengthening internal monitoring mechanisms and enhancement of professional training for frontline staff, etc. The department will continue to work with the HKPF, the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and other organisations, to intensify efforts to combat acts of cruelty to animals.
Having consulted the Education Bureau and the Security Bureau, the reply to the question from the Hon Nixie Lam is as follows:
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ22: Human resource situation of Chinese medicines industries
AYNote 2: UGC-funded institutions do not offer UGC-funded programmes related to Chinese pharmacy at sub-degree, taught postgraduate (Tpg) or research postgraduate levels.
The number of Chinese pharmacy related (Note 3) locally-accredited non-UGC-funded Ug and Tpg programmes as well as the actual intakes by the level of study in the recent five AYs are set out below (Note 4):
AYNote 4: Self-financing post-secondary institutions do not offer programmes related to Chinese pharmacy at sub-degree or research postgraduate levels.
The Government does not maintain relevant records on the number of graduates from various Chinese pharmacy related programmes in Hong Kong.
Note 7: Figures may not add up to total due to rounding.
(3) and (4) According to the Chinese Medicine Ordinance, a retailer of Chinese herbal medicines (Chms) shall nominate one responsible person for the supervision of the dispensing of Chms, and not more than two deputies, one of whom shall act in the absence of that responsible person. Both the aforementioned responsible person and the deputies must meet the minimum requirements regarding knowledge and experience as set out in Schedule 1 of the Chinese Medicines Regulation. These include having a recognised academic qualification/diploma/certificate (for example, a local university bachelor’s degree in Chinese medicine (CM), a diploma/certificate in CMs issued by a local university or the Vocational Training Council (VTC), or other qualifications regarded by the Chinese Medicines Board of the Chinese Medicine Council of Hong Kong (CMs Board) as equivalent); or holding registered/listed Chinese medicine practitioner (CMP) status, and possessing the relevant Hong Kong practical experience in dispensing Chms. For details, please refer to Annex 1. As at the end of March 2026, there are 1 111 licensed retailers of Chms provided Chms dispensing services in Hong Kong. The numbers of responsible persons and deputies supervising the dispensing of Chms were 1 090 and 1 346, respectively. (One responsible person may supervise more than one retailer of Chms.)Issued at HKT 18:50
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
The Centre for Food Safety (CFS) of the Food and Environmental Hygiene Department announced today (May 6) that in view of a notification from the World Organisation for Animal Health (WOAH) about an outbreak of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza in Big Stone County of the State of Minnesota in the United States (US), the CFS has instructed the trade to suspend the import of poultry meat and products (including poultry eggs) from the area with immediate effect to protect public health in Hong Kong.
A CFS spokesman said that according to the Census and Statistics Department, Hong Kong imported about 11 940 tonnes of frozen poultry meat and about 3.53 million poultry eggs from the US in the first three months of this year.
“The CFS has contacted the American authority over the issue and will closely monitor information issued by the WOAH and the relevant authorities on the avian influenza outbreak. Appropriate action will be taken in response to the development of the situation,” the spokesman said.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by the Hon Judy Chan and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
It has been reported that the Japanese Prime Minister will push for amending the pacifist constitution. There are views that “neo-militarism” may become a growing threat that jeopardises regional peace and stability. The Government needs to enhance the younger generation’s awareness of guarding against “neo-militarism”, and examine whether the current primary and secondary school curriculum system is adequate for students to develop an accurate understanding of the history of Japanese aggression of China. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) whether it has compiled statistics on the proportion of teaching content relating to the history of Japanese aggression of China and the harm of militarism in the curriculum framework and teaching materials of Junior Secondary Chinese History and Senior Secondary Citizenship and Social Development subjects; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether it has any plans to regularly review the quality of relevant teaching materials to ensure that their content accurately and objectively reflects historical facts, so as to counterbalance information disseminated by Japan to the outside world that downplays or distorts the history of militarist aggression, and enable the teaching materials to properly guide students to understand the historical background of Japanese militarism and the principles underlying the formulation of the post-war pacifist constitution; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(3) whether it will strengthen relevant training for frontline teachers to ensure that they are equipped with the capability to obtain the latest information and effectively guide students to correctly understand the history of Japanese aggression (including the harm inflicted on compatriots, the situation during the occupation of Hong Kong, the historical lessons of militarism and the importance of upholding peace for the well-being of future generations); if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(4) whether it has any plans to encourage schools to enhance students’ understanding of the history of Japanese aggression of China through extra-curricular activities beyond the classroom; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
(5) given that the Government proposed in the 2025 Policy Address to optimise the curriculum frameworks for the senior secondary Chinese History and History subjects, and that the Education Bureau announced the content of the curriculum frameworks in October 2025 and issued questionnaires to collect views from schools offering or planning to offer the subject concerned, of the latest progress on the consultation results and the review exercise?
Reply:
President,
The Education Bureau (EDB) has attached great importance to the education of the history of the War of Resistance and is committed to promoting patriotic education and a correct understanding of history. The young generation should understand the 14-year history of Chinese people’s War of Resistance against Japanese fascist and militarist invasion, as well as remember the Chinese people’s courageous resistance to the Japanese aggression and the scourge brought about by the Japanese militarism to our country and the world, thereby further strengthening the younger generation’s awareness of the resurgence of militarism.
Regarding the question raised by the Hon Judy Chan, the EDB’s reply is as follows:
(1) and (2) The three curricula of Primary Humanities, junior secondary Chinese History and History cover the content of the history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, so as to cultivate students’ sense of national identity and patriotism.
Junior secondary Chinese History
Secondary 3 Chinese History provides the topic of “Japanese invasion of China and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression”, which includes learning content such as the background of Japanese invasion of China, the course and result of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, and the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and anti-Japanese aggression activities, with a view to nurturing students’ proper values of sense of nationhood and cherishing peace. The above accounts for about 14 per cent of the learning content in Secondary 3, with learning and teaching resources sharing about the same proportion.
Junior secondary History
The content related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is mainly distributed in relevant topics in Secondary 2 and 3. The content covers Japan’s modernisation and transformation into a great power and external expansion after the colonial expansion of European countries in East Asia since the mid-19th century; the rise of Japanese militarism and continuous external aggression in the early 20th century; its invasion of our country and neighouring countries in Asia during the Second World War and the tremendous harm it brought about; and the development of Japan after its defeat in the Second World War, so as to enable students to understand from a broad perspective the history of Japan’s aggression and militarism.
Primary Humanities
The War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is the essential learning content in Primary 6, covering the learning of the causes of the Japanese invasion of China and the development during the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, thereby enabling primary students to have a basic understanding of the outbreak of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. The content of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression is one of the components of “6.3 Change of Our Country” in Primary 6 of Primary Humanities. As planned, publishers will submit relevant teaching materials to the EDB for review, and publish them in due course.
Senior secondary Citizenship and Social Development (CS)
The part concerning learning about the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in CS is mainly covered in the itineraries of the Mainland study tours for students. For details on the visiting sites related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression in CS, please refer to the Student activities section below.
Learning and teaching resources
The EDB has produced diverse learning and teaching resources on the theme of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, including “Learning and Teaching Resource Pack on ‘AI Fighters of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression’ School Roving Exhibition”, “The 70th anniversary of the victory of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression: Selections from the Hsu Chung Mao Collection”, Learning and teaching resource on Historical Theme (War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression) (covering the September 18th Incident, Nanjing Massacre, Peace Declaration, etc). Besides, the EDB also presented the “Chronicle of the Hong Kong-Kowloon Brigade (Revised Edition)” to all primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong offering local curricula (including special schools) in 2025. A thematic talk was also organised to help schools integrate the content into the learning and teaching of relevant subjects, thereby deepening students’ understanding of the history and contributions of the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column during the War of Resistance.
Textbook review
The EDB has drawn up a set of rigorous textbook review procedures. Textbooks submitted for review are reviewed by the textbook review panels, which comprise subject officers from the EDB, frontline teachers and academics from tertiary institutions. Reviewers conduct reviews in accordance with Textbook Writing Guidelines, and publishers should amend the content of the textbooks based on the Textbook Review Reports to ensure the quality of textbooks and alignment with the requirements of the curriculum. Textbooks which have passed all of the above review will be put on the “Recommended Textbook List” for schools’ textbook selection. Currently, the textbooks of both Chinese History and History cover the historical background of the rise of militarism in Japan and its launching of external aggression, and the impact and harms it brought about to our country and the world during the Second World War. Some textbooks also mention the contents of Japan under the occupation and reforms of the Allies after Japan’s defeat in the Second World War (including the promulgation of the “pacifist Constitution”, etc). The EDB will constantly review the quality of relevant textbooks provided by publishers with the aim to enhance content accuracy and reflect historical facts in an objective manner.
(3) and (4) Continuous professional development
The EDB has attached importance to and continuously organised teachers training programmes and diverse student activities relevant to Japan’s invasion on China and the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression to support the educational work on the history of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression. From the 2024/25 school year till now, the EDB has organised a total of 28 relevant teacher training activities, including large-scale academic seminars, visits to museum exhibitions and workshops, thematic seminars, online training programmes, and local and Mainland field visits, providing a total of over 3 570 training places to enhance the professional capacity of teachers. Teachers responded positively to the above training programmes.
Student activities
In addition, in tandem with the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War in 2025, the EDB organised various feature student activities, including:
“History e-Reading Award Scheme 2025” with the theme to commemorate the victory of the War of Resistance (a total of over 36 300 students from 187 schools participated)
“Learn from Museums – Novice Curator Training Programme 2025” co-organised with the Hong Kong Museum of the War of Resistance and Coastal Defence (a total of over 80 students from 20 schools participated)
“The 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance” Hong Kong Secondary School Short Video Competition (a total of 330 students from 42 schools participated);
Joint participation of students and teachers from Guangdong, Hong Kong and Macao in the “Remember History, Cherish Peace”: 88th anniversary of the Nanjing Massacre Student Commemorative and Educational Activity (a total of over 6 100 students from 91 schools participated);
“From War to Peace: Life Lessons from Modern Chinese History” Student Learning Series Activities (including the “AI Fighters of the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression” School Roving Exhibition and “Visual Narrative of the War of Resistance: Territory-wide Creative Competition”, with a total of over 13 000 students from 87 schools participated);
The 80th Anniversary of Victory in the War of Resistance Thematic Exhibition and Learning Project (a total of over 5 500 students from 90 schools participated);
A study tour on tracing the footsteps of heroes against Japanese aggression (a total of about 160 students from 36 schools participated);
“Learning Circle of National Education” seminars and visits themed on the Hong Kong and Kowloon Independent Brigade of the East River Column (a total of over 90 students from seven schools participated); and
The Third National Security Education Study Tour visiting the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders (a total of about 150 students from 30 schools participated).
The EDB has been organising diverse student activities to provide students with learning experiences beyond the classroom so as to strengthen their understanding of the War of Resistance and cherish the hard-won peace, as well as understand that safeguarding and pursuing world peace are the common aspiration and goal of humanity. Examples include adding to student Mainland study tours visits to sites related to the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, such as historic sites, museums and thematic memorial halls including the first Patriotic Education Base for Hong Kong and Macao Youth established at the Museum of the War of Chinese People’s Resistance Against Japanese Aggression in Beijing, the Memorial Hall of the Victims in Nanjing Massacre by Japanese Invaders in Nanjing, the “918” Historical Museum in Shenyang. Through field visits, students can transform the historical knowledge learned in the classroom into concrete insights, gain a deep understanding of the historical lessons from the history of the War of Resistance and militarism on the basis of a correct historical perspective, and cherish the hard-won peace, thereby understanding the arduous journey of our country’s development towards prosperity and strength, and strengthening their sense of belonging to the nation and responsibility.
(5) The optimised senior secondary Chinese History and History curriculum frameworks were announced in October 2025, and the school briefing sessions were also held in the same month, with over 500 teachers participated. In November 2025, the school questionnaire surveys for the two History subjects were completed, with a response rate of over 80 per cent. Schools generally expressed a positive view on the content of the optimised curricula and suggested assessment modes. To support the implementation of the optimised curricula in September 2027, the EDB will collaborate with tertiary institutions and experts/scholars to develop learning and teaching resources, and review textbooks for use upon the implementation of the curricula in the 2027/28 school year. Meanwhile, the EDB will also provide systematic teacher training on the optimised curricula, with no fewer than 1 500 training places offered in the 2026/27 school year, to support schools in implementing the optimised curricula effectively. Furthermore, the EDB will continue to enhance teacher networks and facilitate professional exchange among teachers through frontline teachers’ experience sharing, thus actively promoting the work on history education.
The Hong Kong Examinations and Assessment Authority also announced the assessment frameworks and sample questions for the optimised curricula of the two History subjects in March 2026. Nearly 700 teachers participated in the briefing sessions held in the same month. The optimised curricula will be implemented in Secondary 4 starting from the 2027/28 school year, and the first Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education examinations are expected to be held in 2030 after the optimisation of the senior secondary Chinese History and History curricula.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region – 4
Following is a question by Professor the Hon William Wong and a written reply by the Secretary for Health, Professor Lo Chung-mau, in the Legislative Council today (May 6):
Question:
The Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme currently allows the shared use of health care vouchers (HCVs) between two eligible elderly persons who are in a spousal relationship upon their mutual consent and completion of procedures to pair up their HCV accounts. However, the relevant consent notification will become invalid upon the death of either spouse. It is learnt that at present, once the Department of Health (DH) has obtained the death registration information of an HCV user, it will automatically freeze the healthcare account of the deceased elderly person, without requiring the family members to make a declaration to the DH on their own initiative. Nevertheless, before the death registration procedure of the deceased spouse is completed, the elderly person may have inadvertently used the HCV subsidy of the deceased partner, resulting in the person concerned and the doctors or Chinese medicine practitioners, etc of the relevant medical units having to be invited by the Police to assist in investigations. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) since the implementation of the scheme for the shared use of HCV between spouses, of the number of cases identified by the authorities involving the use of HCV subsidy of a deceased partner; of the respective numbers of cases confirmed to be deliberate abuse and inadvertent misuse among them; as well as of the number of cases currently still under investigation; and
(2) in the event that an elderly person receiving HCVs passes away locally, whether the information about the decease can be transmitted instantly to the HCV system through electronic channels, so as to prevent members of the public from abusing or inadvertently misusing the subsidy of a deceased partner, avoid implicating medical institutions thereby causing them financial and time losses, and save the resources required for police investigations; if not, of the specific plans the authorities have in place to fully link up the information across various systems?
Reply:
President,
In consultation with the Department of Health (DH), the consolidated reply to the question raised by Professor the Hon William Wong is as follows:
The Elderly Health Care Voucher Scheme (EHVS) aims at providing financial incentives for the eligible elderly persons to choose private primary healthcare services that best suit their health needs, so as to provide them with additional choices on top of the existing public primary healthcare services. Elderly persons should produce their valid Hong Kong identity cards (HKICs) and need to receive the healthcare services provided by the enrolled healthcare service providers in person in order to use the vouchers.
To facilitate elderly persons to better use Elderly Health Care Vouchers (EHCVs) more flexibly, the government allowed shared use of EHCVs between spouses in July 2023. An elderly person and his/her spouse (both parties aged 65 or above) only need to attend the practice place of any healthcare service provider together in person to pair up their EHCV accounts, when either party uses the EHCV to pay for healthcare services. Once the accounts are paired up, the elderly person and his/her spouse can, upon exhaustion of his/her own EHCV account balance, use the EHCV balance in the spouse’s account. Every time a spouse’s EHCVs are used, the elderly person is required to provide a copy of the latest HKIC (or Certificate of Exemption) of the spouse to the healthcare service provider for verification.
As at end December 2025, over 178 000 elderly couples (representing approximately 356 000 elderly persons) have registered to pair up their EHCV accounts. During the same period, there were over 670 000 EHCV claim transactions related to shared use of vouchers, involving a total claimed amount at approximately $410 million.
Under the EHVS, upon the passing of an elderly person, his/her EHCVs within the account shall immediately become invalid. Even after registering for shared use of EHCVs, the remaining EHCV account balance of the deceased will not be transferred to the EHCV account of the surviving spouse, nor will it be treated as part of the estate for any individual. No person shall use the healthcare vouchers of a deceased elderly person by using their identity document. This includes elderly persons who have registered for the shared use of vouchers, who must not use the identity documents of their deceased spouses to share their vouchers. Failure to comply is a breach of regulations and may lead to prosecution for crimes such as fraud.
To ensure that eligible elderly persons understand the operation of the EHVS, including the arrangements for shared use of EHCVs between spouses, the DH has implemented the following measures:
Dissemination of relevant information and reminders through various channels, including leaflets, dedicated webpage and social media;
Starting from June 2024, eligible elderly person are required to confirm with the healthcare service providers that his/her spouse is still alive before he/she can use the EHCVs from the spouse’s account; and
Healthcare service providers also have the responsibility to comply with the terms and conditions of the EHVS agreement and to verify the identity of voucher recipients when providing healthcare services. The DH has been conducting promotion to healthcare service providers through various channels, including organising briefing sessions, mailing leaflets and issuing relevant reminders regularly via the eHealth System (Subsidies) (eHS(S)), etc.
Regarding the information system, the DH has established a notification mechanism with the Immigration Department for registered death cases. Upon the passing of an elderly person, his/her EHCV account in the eHS(S), which supports the operation of EHVS, shall immediately become invalid. The surviving spouse will not be able to access or transfer the EHCV account balance under the name of the deceased. Having regard that the majority of elderly persons pass away in public hospitals, the DH has established an hourly death notification mechanism with the Hospital Authority since June 2024 to further enhance the reporting efficiency. If an elderly person registered with eHealth passes away in a public hospital, their EHCV account in the eHS(S) will be frozen immediately, and no one will be able to use the EHCVs of the deceased.
To ensure the proper use of public money, the DH adopts a monitoring mechanism to proactively investigate and handle reports. The DH will follow up on all cases stringently and will refer cases involving suspected fraud or false declarations to law enforcement agencies for investigation. Since the implementation of the shared use of vouchers between spouses, as at end December 2025, the DH has identified about 383 cases involving the suspected use of deceased spouse’s EHCVs that required further follow-up through the monitoring mechanism. These cases involved 524 transactions, accounting for about 0.08 per cent of the total EHCV transactions in paired EHCV accounts. Among the 383 cases requiring further follow-up, 351 cases have been referred to the police for further investigation following preliminary investigation and verification by the DH, while the remaining 32 cases are still under preliminary investigation and verification by the DH. In determining whether to take further legal action, the Government will holistically review the actual circumstances and evidence of each case, including verifying whether criminal intent was involved, and will seek legal advice where necessary. During the same period, the DH has recorded one case of successful prosecution involving a voucher recipient who was charged with fraud for using the EHCVs of the deceased spouse, resulting in a fine and a suspended prison sentence.
In addition, as at end April 2026, the DH identified 31 cases where healthcare service providers violated the terms and conditions of the EHVS agreement concerning the arrangements for shared use of EHCVs between spouses. For these cases, the DH will take appropriate actions or measures based on the specific circumstances, including issuing advisory/warning letters to the concerned healthcare service providers, withholding reimbursement of claims and recovering disbursed reimbursements, etc.
The Government will continue to monitor the usage of EHCVs and explore feasible measures to further enhance supervision, so as to ensure that EHCVs are put to good use and to prevent abuse.
Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region
LCQ6: Development of Kowloon East waterfront Question:
“Co-using water body” is a key measure for the diversified development of the Second Central Business District in Kowloon East. However, it is learnt that some organisations face restrictions in setting up facilities such as spectator stands, beach rafts, landing ramps and steps (ancillary facilities) when organising water sports activities in the waters of the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter (KTTS), making it difficult to organise activities on an ongoing basis and conduct regular training. Furthermore, the lack of systematic management of the large number of vessels that have long been berthed at the KTTS also limits the room for the development of water sports activities. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
(1) given that the existing legislation enables the Government to carry out specified harbour enhancement works through streamlined procedures, whether the Government has plans to construct additional ancillary facilities along the shore of the KTTS to facilitate the organisation of water sports activities; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that;
(2) whether it will review afresh the functions and positioning of the KTTS and, by taking the opportunity arising from the planning of the Yau Tong Bay Comprehensive Development Area, study the construction of a breakwater in Yau Tong Bay to relocate the yachts from the typhoon shelter there for berthing, as well as setting up a yacht club to manage them centrally, so as to promote the development of the yacht economy; and
(3) given that, according to the information on the web page of the Energizing Kowloon East Office, the Government is studying the construction of a bridge linking between the former Kai Tak runway and the Kwun Tong promenade, of the progress of the study and the proposed completion date for the bridge?
Reply:
President,
In response to the Hon Tang Ka-piu’s question, after consulting the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau, the Transport and Logistics Bureau (TLB), the Leisure and Cultural Services Department, and the Marine Department (MD), the Development Bureau’s corresponding replies are as follows:
(1) The north shore of the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter (KTTS) is the Kwun Tong Promenade while the south shore is the Kai Tak Promenade. To support various water activities at the typhoon shelter and to facilitate public viewing, a wooden boardwalk of about one kilometre in length is provided along the waterfront of the Kwun Tong Promenade. Besides, a performance stage and two spectator seating areas facing the typhoon shelter, each accommodating about 200 people, are also provided. The Kai Tak Promenade features glass balustrades along the waterfront for the public to view water activities/sports events. The Kai Tak Promenade also provides restrooms with shower facilities to facilitate public use and organisations’ hosting of water activities.
In terms of landing facilities, there are two existing sets of landing facilities within the KTTS. In addition, as part of the Kowloon Godown redevelopment project on the other end, an additional set of landing steps will be constructed for public use in accordance with the relevant planning requirement and these facilities are expected to be completed by 2028. Furthermore, there are five glass gates along the edge of the Kwun Tong Promenade which are connectable to floating platforms to facilitate embarking and disembarking of participants during water activities. Water sports organisations, including the three water sports training centres (Note) at waterfront sites around the KTTS, can also apply for installing facilities according to their needs. For example, a floating platform has been installed by the Hong Kong Water Sports Council located at the Kai Tak Promenade after approval. The other two training centres also propose to install floating platforms for daily training purpose. The relevant departments are communicating with the groups on construction of additional facilities and providing facilitation.
(2) According to the TLB and the MD, the KTTS continues to perform its function by providing mooring facilities for local vessels, particularly as a safe refuge during inclement weather conditions. A large number of vessels are berthing in the KTTS both daily and during typhoon periods. To promote safe water body co-use between vessels and water recreational activities in the KTTS during non-typhoon days, the MD and the Energizing Kowloon East Office (EKEO) have promulgated the Guidelines for Co-using Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter which outlines some important points that vessels should observe when using the typhoon shelter. The MD has widened the passageway along the north shore of the KTTS from 50 metres to 100 m in 2018 to release more space to facilitate water recreational activities. With the increasing number of water activities in the KTTS and proposed major sports events to be staged in the KTTS in future, the MD and the EKEO are currently exploring an enhanced water body co-use proposal and are gathering views from the stakeholders. We strive to conduct consultation with the Kwun Tong District Council and other relevant groups tentatively in the fourth quarter of this year.
As for Yau Tong Bay, the land adjacent to its water body is mostly under private ownership and planned as comprehensive development zone to facilitate redevelopment for residential and/or commercial uses. The planned land use include waterfront promenade but the provision of yacht berthing facility is not specified. However, the Government is open to proposals of yacht club development in Yau Tong Bay area, and landowners can develop yacht berthing-related landside facilities at specific locations within the relevant area through planning application. Currently, the Government plans to promote yacht tourism at three locations, namely the Aberdeen Typhoon Shelter expansion area, the ex-Lamma Quarry area and the Hung Hom station waterfront area and will dispose the lands, together with the adjacent water bodies, through open tender to allow private enterprises to construct and operate the yacht berthing facilities under commercial mechanism. Additionally, the development of the yacht bay at the Airport City will provide additional berths, for which the Hong Kong Airport Authority is currently inviting expressions of interest.
(3) The Government is studying the construction of a bridge across the KTTS to provide a direct linkage between the former Kai Tak runway area and Kwun Tong, thereby improving the external transportation connectivity of the former runway area. Originally, the Government proposed to construct a pedestrian and cyclist bridge across the KTTS. In view of the public comments received, the study will include the option of adding vehicular lanes. The relevant study is assessing the feasibility of different options and conducting technical assessments. Amongst others, the study will take into consideration the latest planning situation and transportation infrastructure of the Kai Tak Development Area and examine whether the scale of the expanded bridge accommodating pedestrians, cyclists, and general vehicular traffic at the same time would have any impact on water-based recreational activities in the KTTS. We will consult relevant stakeholders at an appropriate time once the proposals are formulated.
Note: With the policy support of the then Home Affairs Bureau, the Hong Kong China Canoe Union, the Hong Kong Water Sports Council and the Kwun Tong Sports Promotion Association established water sports training centres at the Kai Tak and Kwun Tong waterfront. Issued at HKT 17:40